Chapter 60
I dipped the teaspoon into the sugar pot, scooping up rose petals coated in sugar.
These edible flowers preserved in sugar are visually appealing and have a texture that noble ladies favor, making them popular in the Royal Capital, as my nursemaid had prepared them. Though their original purpose is to be eaten as a sweet treat directly, I deliberately dropped the scooped petals into the herbal tea placed before my fiancé.
"Since it's been years since we last met, I had been thinking about what to discuss, but I never imagined we'd end up arguing over my stepsister... It's quite unexpected."
While shrugging my shoulders in a deliberate manner, my right hand holding the teaspoon moved to the sugar pot, and I dropped the petals piled on the spoon into the herbal tea once again.
Plop...
"It would be easy to push you away by telling you not to interfere, but then it seems I wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation with Lord Floyd, so shall we settle the matter of Mirabel first...?"
Listening to the sound of water each time I dropped a petal into the cup, I spoke while gazing at the petals falling from the spoon rather than at my fiancé.
"Father's remarriage was a contract marriage with the premise of eventual dissolution. In fact, Mirabel, who is officially a foster daughter of the Count family, has no rights to inheritance or any privileges tied to the peerage. Moreover, my stepmother and stepsister were originally from a one-generation emerging noble family, so they no longer hold a peerage and are commoners now, but Father provides them with excessive luxury on behalf of his late friend. However, even so, they are not treated the same as me, the daughter of the Count family, and they are never invited to dine with Grandfather, the former head of the family."
Plop...
"And yet, last night at dinner, Mirabel appeared and insisted that even if it's a contract marriage, we are still family... It was incredibly arrogant of her."
Plop, plop...
"I told her that she is not family."
The petals piled up in the cup overflowed onto the saucer along with the herbal tea.
"As for why I dismissed Mirabel's personal maid, it was because they were incompetent, abandoning their paramount duty of greeting the former and current heads of the family, so I ordered their immediate dismissal. It seems they had issues before as well, so we couldn't keep such people employed in our household, could we?"
After lightly stirring the mixture back and forth to avoid the teaspoon touching the cup, I lifted my face from the drink that could no longer be called herbal tea, and gently pushed the saucer with my finger toward my fiancé, who was silently staring at the cup, as if to say, 'Please?'
"If you care so much about my stepsister, why not change your fiancée altogether?"
Since we are still in the stage of a provisional engagement, that would be possible.
Though he cannot inherit the Marquis family, if he becomes the adopted son of the Prime Minister, he could gain a peerage and marry Mirabel without any concerns. I thought it was a good idea, but I tilted my head at my fiancé, who abruptly raised his face and looked at me as if I were something strange.
"Are you saying to break off the engagement?"
"I think that would be for the best, don't you?"
"Why... Mirabel is a childhood friend and like a sister to me. Besides, our engagement holds political significance, so it's not something that can be easily dissolved, nor would it be permitted."
"Have you been informed about the details of this political marriage?"
"I heard about it from my uncle. If I recall, it's related to a mining dispute with another country..."
"We are currently in conflict with Sleiran and Dolce over a mine along the border, but it has been discovered that rare metals can be extracted from that mine. The three most trusted families are conducting excavation work under His Majesty the King's orders. And there is information that the other two countries are also conducting similar excavations."
"...You're quite well-informed."
"I spent three years at Ransheen Fortress along the border, after all."
"Right, that's true."
"If we are to continue mining for decades to come, it was deemed necessary to deepen ties through marriage, and the Rotish family and Armle family, who have children of similar ages, were approached. However, it doesn't necessarily have to be me and Lord Floyd."
"But, there are no other children of similar age..."
"Are there really none?"
"..."
"I heard that Lord Floyd's older brother, the heir to the Marquis family, married a distant relative of the Tseli family last year. If that's the case, then if I marry someone from the royal family, wouldn't that be perfect?"
"You've been thinking about such things while we were apart..."
"Why do you look so deeply hurt? Even though you could be free from a fiancée with whom you can barely converse and don't even want to make eye contact."
"Celestia..."
"I intended to discuss this when we met at the Music Festival, but it's fine to say it now, isn't it?"
When I looked straight into Floyd's eyes, he let his gaze wander before finally lowering his eyes...
I had been calling my fiancé by his title in my mind, but I suppose it's fine to just call him Floyd from now on.
"On our engagement anniversary three years ago, I rejected you and cut off contact. I apologize for lacking consideration despite being in an engagement."
I bowed my head slightly and immediately continued with, "However..."
"During the engagement ceremony and other occasions, you escorted my stepsister instead of me, your fiancée, constantly displaying an affectionate demeanor. On top of that, on our important engagement anniversary, you handed a bouquet to an attendant and enjoyed tea with my completely unrelated stepsister. So, please understand my feelings, as I could barely breathe unless I distanced myself from Lord Floyd and my stepsister, who do not hesitate to hurt others."
I said to understand, but I don't actually need him to understand.
I only wanted to apologize and throw in some sarcasm to avoid lingering issues; I have no expectations of Floyd.
I picked up a piece of candied sugar with my fingers and put it in my mouth, frowning at its sweetness.
If this is what's in fashion, just how sweet must the sweets served at tea parties be...?
As I pondered such things, I heard words that made me doubt my ears, "Was I hurting you...?"
"...I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that being by your side made my chest ache for no reason, and I felt I had to reject you before being rejected... I'm sorry."
"..."
I had explained various things to avoid the hassle of parting on bad terms over Mirabel the day before the Music Festival, but I never imagined he would understand and apologize.
Wondering if this was genuine, I closely observed Floyd, who kept his eyes lowered. Then, with a face as if he had made some decision, he slowly picked up the cup still placed in front of him and drank down the herbal tea filled with an excessive amount of candied sugar in one go.
"...Ugh, urk, ngh."
Watching my fiancé, who was pressing both hands to his mouth and moving it awkwardly with teary eyes, I signaled to the maid with a glance while feeling exasperated.
"My mouth... it's so gritty..."
Of course, it would be, since he took in a mouthful of candied sugar overflowing from the cup.
Receiving a glass of water from the maid, I placed it in front of Floyd, and he tilted the glass with a delighted expression...
"I was aware that I prioritized Mirabel. Following my parents' words, I've always lived observing the expressions of those around me, so being with Mirabel, who I didn't need to be cautious around, was easier. Besides, Celestia always seemed displeased, so I thought you might hate me."
"If there's someone who can smile at a fiancé who barely speaks to them and prioritizes their stepsister, I'd like to see them."
"Yeah... you're right."
This is the first time we've spoken alone like this, and I thought he was selfish, cold, and someone who feared me for no reason despite doing nothing...
"You might not like it, but I have no intention of breaking off our engagement to be with Mirabel. I haven't met with Mirabel recently, and I've stopped exchanging letters with her as well. More than her, I was constantly worried about whether you were sick or injured. So, when I heard you had returned to the separate residence, I couldn't stay calm and came to visit early in the morning..."
"Worried...?"
"Yeah... Military school is a place to train soldiers, so there must be many dangers, right? Celestia, you're like the model of a noble lady, so I was even more worried."
"Me... a model?"
Even though Floyd is at fault, I, who stomped on a bouquet in front of him and ran away in a tantrum, being called a model noble lady... What kind of creature does he think a lady is?
"After graduating from military school, you'll return to the territory, right?"
"I intend to learn the duties of a lord by Father's side, but..."
"That's a relief. I was worried about what I would do if you said you'd become a soldier... It's dangerous."
Seeing Floyd smile with relief as he patted his chest, I couldn't believe it and suspected that the sweetness of the candied sugar had affected my head, making me seem like a very heartless person...
However, given everything up until now and what just happened, it's only natural that I can't take my fiancé's words at face value.
"There's something I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"What kind of relationship do you have with the Second Prince?"
"Are you referring to Renato?"
"Yeah."
I had heard from Father that Floyd had become an aide to Rudo, the Crown Prince.
So, while it would make sense to be asked about Rudo, why did Renato's name come up?
"What kind of relationship do you mean...?"
If there's anything connecting me and Renato, it would be Ransheen Fortress.
However, only a select few know that Rudo and Renato stayed at the fortress for several months. While Rudo likely won't go to the fortress anymore, Renato, who is cautious of assassination, is there, so there's no way he would tell his aide.
I tried to keep my expression neutral, but I couldn't control my voice, and due to asking in a low tone, Floyd's shoulders trembled.
"...When I was still a candidate for Ludweek's aide, the Second Prince was also present at a meeting. During that time, the topic of Celestia came up, and the Second Prince called you by a familiar nickname, so I was curious..."
"My name came up...?"
"Since His Majesty the King and Lord Fielde are close, I heard that the princes and Celestia naturally became close as well."
Impressed that such a backstory was set up, I quietly nodded in affirmation.
If they are concealing matters about the fortress, it's best to just nod and not say anything unnecessary.
"I didn't know you were close enough to allow a nickname..."
"Whether to allow it or not, the other party is royalty. I have no right to refuse."
"...I see, yeah, that's true."
Floyd's expression, which had suddenly darkened, brightened up, and his voice seemed somewhat cheerful. Tilting my head at this, since he didn't seem to intend to ask anything further, I unilaterally shifted the topic to tomorrow's Music Festival.
At the Music Festival, Grandfather will escort me, and as my fiancé, Floyd will join me inside the venue and sit in the same seat. After enjoying the opera for about three hours with a break in between, we will move to a hall within Luant Palace for socializing. There, alcohol will be served, so children under adulthood will greet various people with their parents before heading to the lodging facilities.
"There were some rumors about you at the Academy, so having Lord Fielde escort you will serve as a deterrent, which I think is good. Besides, since a daughter of a Duke family will enroll the year after next, we should eliminate those spreading malicious rumors beforehand."
"Duke family... Are you referring to Angelica?"
Angelica Baker is a daughter of a Duke family and is rumored to be the top candidate for the Crown Prince's fiancée.
Angelica, petite and beautiful, is often likened to a fairy in social circles. I, too, was excited about how cute she must be until I actually met her...
"Since Celestia stopped appearing in public, Angelica asked me for the reason every year. I had been vague in my responses until now, but since you said it could be made public, I told her during last month's theater viewing that you had enrolled in military school, and then..."
"I can guess without you saying it. She threw a tantrum, didn't she?"
"Yeah..."
Angelica, who possesses both status and beauty, for some reason has shown hostility toward me since our first meeting.
"I'll observe her behavior at the Music Festival."
As I said this, at the same time, a guard from the Armle family bent down beside Floyd and whispered something in his ear.
He probably has plans after this.
"I'll take my leave for today."
"Yes, see you tomorrow."
Watching Floyd's back as he left the gazebo, I reaffirmed that I no longer held any romantic feelings for him, and without lingering, I turned away from Floyd and stepped out of the gazebo.